What is a Babblebook exactly? Is it an e-book or an audiobook?
A Babblebook is both an e-book and an audiobook. It's a CD that contains the full text of the work -- along with a special screen reader that allows you to customize the fonts, size, background and margins to your own reading taste.

The CD also holds MP3 audio tracks for each chapter in several speeds, narrated by our digital storyteller.

Babblebooks are an audio/visual edition of a book -- but one that's pure book, just as the author intended. A great way to enjoy a Babblebook is to listen while keeping the text on screen, to help make sure that every word is fully understood.

What computers and/or devices does a Babblebook require?
Babblebooks will play on any computer that can play MP3 files; in other words, one that has a soundcard and audio software. (Most computers have this capability, including Windows, Apple, Linux and other popular systems.) Babblebooks can also be played on portable MP3 CD players.

You're also welcome to transfer Babblebook MP3 files to your portable MP3 player or iPod, so you can listen to a classic work of literature while cycling, jogging or hiking!

Our screen reader will run in conjunction with any popular Internet browser, such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Netscape.

Are your books just repackagings of stuff on the Internet?
Actually, no. Babblebooks grew out of two frustrations, one with audiobooks and one with e-books. First, audiobooks are just too expensive. Listening to Sister Carrie read aloud is a wonderful experience, but not when it costs $100. Besides, most audiobooks today are not just overpriced, they're overproduced. Every character seems to have a strange and distinctive accent, and every passage is read with intense emotion.

Second, e-books of classic (public domain) works are freely available on the Internet, but most of them are created by hobbyists, and little or no care has been taken to ensure their accuracy. This is true even for classic e-books which you might purchase in popular formats such as Microsoft Reader or Adobe Reader.

Babblebooks are the first books proofread both by eye and by ear. This means that they're more accurate even than scholarly print editions can hope to be. It's nearly impossible to create a traditional book without a single typographical error. If the book is checked by both sight and sound, like a Babblebook, it's very possible indeed.

Aren't there free digital readings available? Why should I buy yours?
The difference is pretty clear. Babblebooks are not produced using commercially available text-to-speech software, the kind you can run on your own computer. They're generated by a multi-stage process in which artificial intelligence algorithms are applied to the text; then the audio files are edited by human beings sensitive to the meaning of the words and the intent of the author.

Click here for a sample of typical freely available mp3 audio (from Robinson Crusoe).
Click here for the corresponding Babblebook extract.

What does your screen reader look like?
The Babblebooks screen reader is licensed from ClassicBookshelf.com. It's a great piece of technology that almost makes reading from a computer screen as natural and pleasant as reading from a page.

You can adjust colors, fonts, and margins with a few clicks, and easily navigate your way through the book using the chapter list.

Here's a screenshot of the Babblebooks reader.